New Every Morning

 God loved us so much that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sin, that through faith we might be brought back into a full and intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father for all eternity. I think we often forget the magnitude of this love: we were dead and He provided us a way to live!
Lamentations 3:22-23
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
God has expressed His absolute love and compassion through the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. This forgiveness is total and complete for those who believe. When we place our trust in Jesus, we are washed clean – we become “a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And we continue to be washed clean “every morning.”
We all have days when our sinful nature wins a battle and we stumble. We have a day when our anger, pride, fear, or lust is brought to the surface and we “do what we do not want to do” (Romans 7:16). We may need to seek forgiveness and earn back trust from those we have hurt, but God’s forgiveness and love is free for the asking; “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). We may lose some of the battles, but through Jesus, the war has been won!
Since we have been washed clean, and continue to be washed clean, we must stop walking as though we are still soiled. We are children of God and in the process of being conformed to the likeness of His Son. This process of growth and maturity – the process of victorious transformation – must continue each and every morning. We must shed the heavy burdens of past failures (and the fear of future disappointments) and walk in the freshness of His forgiveness.
Is our relationship with God fresh and new? Do we still comprehend the magnitude of love encompassed in the gift of forgiveness? Or have we grown complacent and cold? When was the last time our love for God was so fresh on our heart that we couldn’t help but say THANK YOU!?
We are invited to a relationship with our Heavenly Father; an intimate relationship which involves loving and being loved; a relationship which allows us to walk in victory for His glory and to be guided by the power of His Spirit. Let’s give Him our all and receive His all in return. Let’s rise up in His strength and determine to make our relationship of love new every morning.

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Be Still And Know

 The presence of God is a wonderful gift which is available to every believer. No longer is His presence confined to a specific location or available to only a few; “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). But the gift of His presence requires discipline in order to receive and maintain. We don’t earn this gift; it truly is a gift! But we live in such a noisy and hectic world that we often simply miss His blessing unless we are willing to actively order our time and priorities…and this takes effort!
We are all given the same 24 hours in every day. Yet most of us generally try to put far too much into this precious time. We become frustrated with the constant busyness, but when given the opportunity we add even more to our schedule. Each of our activities may be good, but the result is often a frantic pace void of the true blessings from God. As our activity level increases, it becomes more and more difficult to hear God and nearly impossible to ponder the meaning of His truth; the contentment of walking in His presence is most often missed. For this reason, God gives us a gentle reminder – actually, He gives us a firm command.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
There are many things in life which are good – many good people and good activities that require, or at least desire, our time. While God definitely calls us to serve and minister to one another, we must understand that constant busyness hinders our ability to hear God. To maintain effective communication with God and nurture a sense of His peace, we must make time, and put forth the “effort,” to simply stop and rest in His strength.
Perhaps the Psalm writer knew we needed a great assurance and trust in God in order to be still: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (Psalm 46:1-3). God will always be at our side as a source of strength. We need not fear being still!
We must never forget that what our Heavenly Father desires more than anything else is for us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). We must not forget what Jesus says is most important: “…only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).
As we see our pace beginning to increase, let’s draw near to God by quietly worshipping Him and giving thanks for the awesome gift of His Son. Let’s protect our schedule such that we have time for God’s very best. Let’s receive and enjoy His true blessings as we make time every day to simply be still and know.

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5 Steps To Peace

~ Psalm 37 Shows the Way to Peace ~  

 Psalm 37 is a wonderful psalm. The first part of the psalm shows a clear progression to victory in the Christian life. Overall, the psalm contrasts the life and end of the believer versus the unbeliever.

Trust God  ~  “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (37:3).

Commit Your Way To God  ~  “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (37:5).

Rest In God  ~  “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass” (37:7).

Wait On God  ~  “For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth” (37:9).

Enjoy Peace With God  ~  “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (37:11).

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Blood Alphabet

~ Forgiveness is From the Blood of Christ ~

Atones For The Soul  ~  Leviticus 17:11

Brings Us Into The Covenant Of Grace  ~  Matthew 26:28

Cleanses Us From All Our Sin  ~  1 John 1:7

Delivers God’s People From Judgment  ~  Exodus 12:13

Everlasting In Its Value  ~ Hebrews 13:20

Furnishes The Only Ground of Peace With God  ~  Colossians 1:20

Gives Us Access Into His Presence  ~  Hebrews 10:19-21

Has Already Obtained Redemption For Us  ~  Ephesians 1:7

Imparts Eternal Life  ~  John 6:54

Justifies Us In The Sight Of God  ~  Romans 5:9

Keeps Us In The Holy of Holies  ~  Hebrews 9:22-26

Links Us To God’s Electing Purpose  ~  1 Peter 1:2

Makes Us Close To God  ~  Ephesians 2:13 

Never Needs To Be Offered Again  ~  Hebrews 9:12

Overcomes The Power Of Satan  ~  Revelation 12:11

Purges The Conscience From Dead Works  ~  Hebrews 9:14

Quenches The Righteous Wrath Of God  ~  Romans 3:25

Redeems Us From Our State Of Ruin  ~  1 Peter 1:18-19

Speaks To God and To Us Of Salvation  ~  Hebrews 12:24

Tunes The Voices of Saints To Holy Song  ~  Revelation 5:9

Unites Us In Christian Communion  ~  1 Corinthians 10:16

Victorious Over Tribulation  ~  Revelation 7:14

Washes Us From Every Stain  ~  Revelation 1:6

‘Xcuses Us When We Repent  ~  Acts 2:38

Yields The Price That Bought The Church  ~  Acts 20:28

Zealous In Love Toward Us  ~  John 3:15-16

Without the shedding of the blood of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, there could be no forgiveness for our sin (see Hebrews 9:22). 

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Resolve To Be Transformed

 In the days immediately preceding and following the first of the year there is always talk about resolutions. I’m surprised at the number of people who speak ill about making resolutions. The discussion is usually focused on how resolutions always fail. It seems wrong, or at least unwise, to set goals when you are just being set up for failure. While I agree that making resolutions carries a risk of perceived failure, I would also make the case that attempting some resolutions can be a grand adventure; and some resolutions may actually be accomplished.
On New Year’s Eve, 2002, I made a resolution to run 500 miles in 2003. This was a significant resolution as I had never been a runner. On January 1, I went out for my first run of the year and struggled to run one mile. But I stuck with it for the entire year and by the end of the year I had run 1508 miles. Yes, it was a grand adventure. I continued running in 2004 but then completely stopped and have only recently begun to run again with my daughter. My resolution for 2013? I would like to run 1509 miles. I’m ten years older (43), but everything seems to work relatively well and I praise God every day I’m able to plod down the road. I’ll post my miles at the bottom of every message. There will probably be an increased motivation in knowing I have announced my resolution to thousands of people around the world. This ought to be fun.
But there is a type of resolution which carries much more significance than running. There are definitive things we can do which have eternal significance. Jesus said it well as He admonished the Pharisees: “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. First clean the inside…and then the outside also will be clean” (Matthew 23:25-26). Most of us make resolutions which are focused in some way on the external, things like exercise or diet. Few resolve to make the more important changes.
The Bible speaks about the initial transformation which occurs when we become a “new creation” in Christ. Of course, we call this Salvation and it is ALL by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). But the Bible also speaks about the on-going transformation as we draw closer to God and achieve the peace and contentment found only in His presence. This process is called sanctification.
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
At the beginning of 2012 I began to include the daily readings for the One Year Bible at the bottom of each message. I followed through this plan and completed the final reading on the first of January. If you began this plan in 2012 and did not finish, please do not view this as a failure. Rather, consider what you accomplished and simply continue. It really makes no difference if you finish the Bible in one year or in two or three. But a habit of reading and studying God’s Word can make a lasting transformation in our life.

There are many other eternal types of resolutions. So on our list of things to do differently this next year – our list of resolutions – I pray we include more time with God in prayer, more time in His Word, more time loving Him with ALL our heart, seeking His presence, and earnestly desiring to know, and do, His will. Let our prayer for one another be that we draw ever closer to our Heavenly Father and experience His love new and fresh every day. In this new year, let’s make eternal resolutions as we resolve to be transformed!

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3 Ws for 2013

There are three critical activities which all Christians should regularly be doing while they wait for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Worshippers  ~  Regularly remember the Lord’s death until He comes again! “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). 

Warriors  ~  Hold fast the truth of the Word of God until He comes again! “But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches’” Revelation 2:25-29).

Workers  ~  Engage in His work until He comes again! “Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: ‘A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business till I come”’”  (Luke 19:11-13).

self-test:  Are you busy in God’s work while waiting for His return? Are you busy doing the right things? Are you worshipping your Creator? Are you a warrior for Him fighting the spiritual darkness all around you? Are you working in His business as a good steward?  

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